Physician ABM Abdullah wins public support amid emeritus professor controversy

While many assistant professors now charge no less than Tk1,000 per health consultation, and senior professors typically charge between Tk1,500 and Tk2,500 or more, one of Bangladesh's most senior medicine specialists still charges only Tk300 at his private chamber.

For extremely poor patients, he often waives the consultation fee entirely. When expensive diagnostic tests are genuinely necessary, he also helps patients obtain discounts at various hospitals.

For more than four decades, he has contributed to the country's healthcare sector as a clinician, teacher, researcher and author. The physician is Dr ABM Abdullah, one of Bangladesh's best-known doctors.

Over the past few days, he has been at the centre of public discussion, with many praising Dr Abdullah's honesty, compassion, and his practice of avoiding unnecessary medical tests. Many of his former students have also written about the support and guidance they received from him.

The renewed public discussion follows the decision by the syndicate of Bangladesh Medical University (BMU) to revoke his lifetime emeritus professor appointment and order him to return the salary and allowances he received under that designation. 

Why was the emeritus appointment cancelled?

According to the university's office order, during the 92nd syndicate meeting on 20 June 2024, the "Emeritus Professor Appointment Ordinance" was amended outside the official agenda to reappoint him for life. Since the process did not comply with university regulations, the appointment was deemed invalid.

The university also instructed him to refund the salary and allowances received under that appointment.

BMU authorities claim that during nearly two years as an emeritus professor, he did not regularly attend the university or participate in teaching and research, despite drawing salary and allowances on a quarterly basis. According to the university, he received around Tk14 lakh during that period.

Dr Abdullah has rejected those allegations.

"I regularly went to BMU. They never assigned me any classes. Emeritus professors are supposed to teach and be invited to academic meetings. If I am not given any classes or a schedule, how can I teach?" he told The Business Standard.

He also disputed the university's financial calculation.

"The amount they have calculated is not accurate. I am a retired physician, so I am entitled to receive a pension. They have added my pension to this calculation. That is unfair. Many people have advised me to take legal action. But I am a simple person – let's see what they do," he said.

"A respected person should not have been humiliated"

Public health expert Dr M Mushtaq Husain told The Business Standard, "Resolving procedural shortcomings is the responsibility of the university authorities. The individual bears no responsibility for that. Dr ABM Abdullah is fully qualified to be an emeritus professor. Nobody has said he is unqualified; they have only said that the procedure was flawed."

"In my view, it is the authorities' responsibility to ensure the regulations are in order. It sends a poor message to the nation when a respected individual is publicly humiliated. Even if the issue has political dimensions, it is unfortunate. It could also have negative implications for future state honours and other national recognitions," he added.

Four decades of service in medicine 

Born in 1954 in Islampur, Jamalpur, Dr ABM Abdullah graduated with an MBBS degree from Dhaka Medical College in 1978. He began his career serving rural communities before joining Dhaka Medical College Hospital. After working in Saudi Arabia for five years, he earned his MRCP from the Royal College of Physicians.

In 1995, he joined the then PG Hospital – now Bangladesh Medical University – as an assistant professor. He later became chairman of the Department of Medicine and served three consecutive terms as dean of the Faculty of Medicine.

He has authored 10 books for medical students and serves on the international advisory boards of the globally recognised medical textbooks Davidson's Principles and Practice of Medicine and Kumar & Clark's Clinical Medicine.

In recognition of his contributions to medical research and education, he has received the UGC Award, the Ekushey Padak, and an honorary fellowship from the Bangla Academy.

In 2019, he was appointed a UGC Professor and, in the same year, became the personal physician to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina with the rank of secretary.

In 2022, Bangladesh Medical University appointed him as an emeritus professor. Although he was later reappointed to the position, that appointment has now been revoked.